Conveyer and tumbler for article-coating apparatus



Jul 9, 1929. J, LEM NT 1.720.131

CONVEYER .AND TUMBLER FOR ARTICLE COATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 25, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l @MWW -Eharanc E JLam unt- July 9, 1929. v c, LEMQNT 1.720.131

' CONVEYER 'AND TUMBLER FOR ARTICLE COATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan; 25, 1926 3 Sheets-Shee' c 2 E1GTEUEE J L2munt QBQ Y" July 9, 1929.

c. J. LEMONT 1,720,131

CONVEYER AND TUMBLER FOR ARTICLE COATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 25, 1926 s sheets-srieet 3 III Q m l @MM%% vi JQVQY Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE J. EMO T, OF SOUTH LWAU EE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO LI E MATERIAL COMPANY, OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

GONVEYER AND TUMBLER FOR ARTICLE-COATING APPARATUS.

Original application filed January 25, 1926, Serial No. 83,565. Divided and this application filed October 4,1926 Serial No. 139,406.

Many obstacles must be overcome in galvanizing articles such as the formation of beads or lumps of excess coating or spelter and heretofore it has been necessary to exercise extreme care while the coatingis hardening to prevent the adherence of the articles to eachother or to their support, or Otherwise sharp barbs or projections are produced as the articles are separated.

It is, therefore, an Object of this invention to provide an improved conveyer and tumbler for article coating'apparatus having means incorporated therein for removing all excess spelter or other coating and keeping the articles separate and in motion while the coating is hardening whereby their adherence is prevented to produce a smooth, unbroken surface.

Extreme difficulty is experienced in gal-- vanizing threaded articles such as bolts and the like as the spelter accumulates in the threads and hardens, and this invention has, as another object, an apparatus of the character described which is so designed as to re 5 move all excess spelter Or coating from the articles as they leave the bath and also having means for preventing the formation of lumps and beads on the finished product.

A further object of this invention r s-ides in the provision of an improved oscillating conveyer or tumbler which is desi ned and manipulated as to progressively feed coated articles after their removal from a galvanic I or other bath of coating material to a point of discharge and subjects the articles to a motion of a character to remove the excess spelter therefrom and prevent the formation of lumps or beads on the finished articles.

lVith the above and. other Objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the'precise embodiment ofthe hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated two complete examples of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side View, partly in elevation 5; and partly in section, of the improved tumbling means and conveyeremployed to remove excess spelter from coated articles;

Figure 2 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragniientary detail view of one of the means for adjusting the reciprocation of the conveyer and tumbler;

Figure 4 is a detail View, partly insection and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 8 on the plane of the line let thereof;

Figure 5 is a View, similar to Figure 1, of a slightly modified type of tumbler and conveyer;

Figure 6 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 5 on the plane of the line 66, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 5 on the plane of line 7-7.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like 7 numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, 5 designates a tumblertrough or article conveyor consisting of an angle iron frame 6 of approximate rectangular shape having side walls 7 secured thereto, as at 8, and an irregular or stepped bottom 9. The steps or irregularities of the bottom 9 ex-, tend transversely of the trough and have their high points forming shoulders or steps 10 located remote from the receiving end 11 of the conveyer which is adapted to receive the articles being coated from the galvanizing kettle, or the like, not shown.

As explained in my application filed January 25, 1926, Serial NO. 83,565, of which this is a division, it has been necessary in the past to remove the articles from the galvanic 95 bath, and shake the same to remove the excess spelter, the articles being redipped until the desired coating is obtained. This tedious hand work is entirely eliminated by my improved tumbling device, for the articles may be left in the galvanic bath a period sufiicient to insure their obtaining an even coating, as all excess spelter is removed and the articles maintained out of contact with each other in drying by my improved conveyer and tumbler. The coated articles are conveyed from the galvanic bath kettle, not shown, to a place of discharge or a cooling tank by an oscillating and reciprocating tumbler which is so manipulated that its ends reciprocate simultaneously in opposite directions at different speeds so that articles placed on its elevated or receiving end are successively fed therethrough to its discharge or lower end 12.

The tumbler 5 is supported by pairs of adjustable pitmen or standards 13, Hand 15, the pitmen 13 and 14 vertically reciprocating the ends of the trough and the pitmen 15 shifting or reciprocating the same longitudinally. The pitmen 13 have their ends connected with the side sills 16 of the tumbler adjacent its discharge end 12 by a transverse rod 17 passing through the sills and the journal blocks 18 on the upper ends of the pitmen. The pitmen 14 are connected with the sills adjacent the receiving end of the tumbler in a similar manner, a rod-19 traversing the same and passing through the sills and their ournal blocks 20 fixed to the upper ends of the pitmen. The lower ends of the pitmen 13 and 14 are eccentrically pivotally connected, as at 21 and 22, respectively, with disks or wheels 23 and 24 fixed to the ends of the shafts 25 and 26, respectively, journaled in bearing members 27 fixed to the base frame 28 of the apparatus. The pitmen 15 have bearing members 29 formed on their upper ends to receive a rod 30 connecting the tumbler sills and the lower ends thereof are ecc-entrically connected with wheels or disks 31 mounted on a shaft 32 journaled in the upper ends 33 of standards 34 fixed to the foundation frame 28.

The shafts 25 and 26 are connected by a chain 35 trained about sprockets 36 and 37 fixed on the shafts, and the shaft 26 is connected with the shaft 32 by a chain 38 trained about sprockets 39 and 40 fixed to the shafts 26 and 32, respectively. Shaft 32 is a driven shaft being connected with the drive shaft 41 j of a motor or other power unit 42 by a chain 43 trained about a sprocket 44 fixed to the shaft 32 and a sprocket 45 fixed to the drive shaft. In this manner, the pitmen 13, 14 and 15 are simultaneously reciprocated, and their eccentric connections with their respective shafts are such that the pitmen 13 are moved downwardly as the pitmen 14 are moved upwardly and the pitmen 15 moved to the left,

withreference to the drawings, as the pitmen 14 move downward, causing the trough to oscillate and progressively move the articles thereover to its discharge end, the steps 10 progressively advancing the articles as will be readily apparent.

The various pitmen are each adjustable as to length by a turn-buckle or screw 46 having its ends provided with right and left threaded sockets in which the inner ends of the parts forming the pitmen are threaded so that rotation of the turn-buckle of a pitman in either directionlengthens the same and a reverse rotation contracts or shortens the same.

Each pitman is connected with its respec tive wheel in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, its lower end being provided with a bearing member 47 in which a pin 48 is journaled. Each pin 48 has two washers 49 on its inner end confined between a head 50 on the pin inner end and the projected end of a bushing 51 fixed in the bearing 4?, the washers having bosses or enlargements 52 on their adjacent surfaces to form a recess in which the longitudinal flanges 53 of an approximate T-shape recess 54 extending across the outer face of the wheel are clamped. The bushing 51 secured in the bearing 47 extends slightly beyond the sides thereof so that the nut 55 may be drawn tight to firmly clamp the pin 48 in place with respect to the axis of its respective wheel. As will be evident,'the throw of a pitman is readily adjustable by loosening its nut 55 and shifting the same along the T-shaped recess to the desired eccentric position, when the nut 55 is again tightened. I

As best shown in Figure 1, the pin 48 of the pitman 13 is to the left of the axis of its shaft 26 so that the discharge end of the tumbler and conveyer moved downwardly as its receiving end is elevated.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7, a slightly modified construction of conveyer is illustrated which consists of a pair of end standards 56 and 57 fixed to a base frame structure 58 and connected at their upper ends by longitudinal side sills or beams 59, and end standards 60, the sills 59 being preferably of hollow cast construction and connected to the stand ards by machine bolts or other means 61 passed through flanges 62 on the ends thereof. The standards are preferably skeletonized for economy in weight of material and the standards 56 have transverse members 63 in which bearings 64 are formed to journal a drive shaft 65, the medial portion of which is offset to provide a crank 66 on which the bearings 67 of the tumbler or oscillating conveyer are mounted.

In this embodiment of my invention, the conveyor 6 is constructed of a pair of angle irons 68, the lower horizontal portions 69 of which are connected by the stepped bottom 8 and the bearings 67 are fixed to the horizontal portions of the angle iron members. In this manner, rotation of theshaft moves the conveyer receiving end vertically and atthe same time shifts it longitudinally. The discharge endof the conveyer is supported by a pair of suspension links '70, the upper ends of which are pivotally and longitudinally adjustably connected with the beams 59 and the lower ends of which are pivotally and longitudinally adjustably connected with the side portions 71 of the angle members 68.

The upper ends of the links are journaled on the reduced ends 7 2 of a rod or shaft 73 of a length slightly less than the space between the side sills, the reduced ends there of projecting beyond the links 70 into bearing blocks 74 of approximately flange shape. Blocks 7% are longitudinally adjustably secured to the inner dressed surface 75 of the side sills by machine screws or other means 76 engageable in threaded openings 77 therein. The point of pivotal connection of the links 70 with the side sills 59 may be longitudinally adjusted by removing the machine screws 7 6 and shifting the bearing blocks bodily until the openings therein register with the desired openings 77 when the machine screws are made fast.

Flanges 78 extending along the lower portions of the dressed surfaces 75 provide a support for suspending the links 70 and consequently the discharge end of the conveyer when the machine screws are removed and facilitate the adjustment of the device. The ends of the links 70 are adjustably connected with the conveyer in a similar manner by pivot pins 79 carried by attaching flanges or blocks 80, the pins having heads 81 on one end and nuts 82 threaded on their opposite ends, in the manner illustrated in Figure 7. The flanges are longitudinally adjust-ably secured to the vertical portions 71 of the side beams (38 by bolts or other means 83 engageable in openings 84 in the side beams 68.

The shaft 65 has balance fly wheels 85 fixed on its ends, one of which is driven from a drive motor 86 by a belt 87 trained thereabout and a pulley 88 fixed on the motor shaft. This construction imparts the desired movement to the conveyer and, at the same time, has a tendency to eliminate excess vibrations.

As described in detail in the divisional ap plication above referred to, the various articles to be coated are removed from the kettle, not shown, to the receiving end of the conveyer 5 either by mechanical or manual means and the oscillatory movements of the conveyer, previously described, tumble and advance the articles therealong to its discharge end, the oscillations of the conveyer assisted by its stepped portions 8 preventing any two articles from remaining in contact and the jars given to the articles as they progress through the conveyer removing all excess spelter or coating and preventing the same from hardening thereon in beads. The articles are then discharged from the conveyer either into a cooling trough, not shown, or into a receptacle or a pile on the floor to be removed by an attendant.

The conveyer 5 by reason of its construction and the manner of oscillation works very successfully in connection with threaded articles as experience has demonstrated that all excess spelter is removed from the threads, thus leaving them clear to receive suitable threaded articles as insulators, nuts or the like.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a tumbling means comprising an approximate trough shaped member, step ed formations on the bottom of said mem er, means mounting said member with its receiving end on a higher plane than its discharge end, and means for bodily moving the mount ing means vertically to simultaneously reciprocate the ends of said member vertically in opposite directions.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a tumbling means comprising an approximate trough shaped member, stepped formations on the bottom of said member, means mounting said member with its receiving end on a higher plane than its discharge end, means for simultaneously reciprocating the ends of said member vertically in opposite directions, means for shifting said member longitudinally as its ends are reeiprocated vertically in opposite directions, and means for adjusting the degree of vertical reciprocation of one end of said member.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a tumbling means comprising an ap proximate trough shaped member, stepped formations on the bottom of said member, means for imparting an oscillating movement to said member, whereby the ends thereof are simultaneously reeiprocated vertically in opposite directions and at the same time said member is shifted longitudinally, and means for adjusting the degree of vertical reciprocation of one end of said member.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a tumbling means comprising an approximately trough shaped member, stepped formations on the bottom of said member, pitmen connected with the member at each end thereof to support the same, eccentrics connected with the other ends of the pitmen, means for actuating the eccentrics whereby the ends of the member are vertically reciproea-ted in opposite directions, and means for shifting the member longitudinally.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a tumbling means comprising an approximately trough shaped member, stepped formations on the bottom of said member,

5 means supporting said member With its ends on different planes, means for imparting Vertioal movement to the supporting -1neans whereby the ends of the member are simultaneously reciprooated vertically in opposite directions, and means for shifting the member 1 longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLARENCE J. LEMONT. 

